Relationship Between Police Legitimacy, Cooperation with the Police, and Compliance of the Law - An Empirical Assessment

• In Event: Examining Police Legitimacy and Public Cooperation

Abstract

The police require the cooperation of the public and voluntary and willing compliance with the law to ensure security in society. People cooperate with the police and comply with the law because they share norms and values reflected in the law and police action. Cooperation and voluntary compliance depend on the public perception of the legitimacy of the authority. Using a model of legitimacy as a multidimensional concept, this study examines the relationship between the perception of police legitimacy and the lawfulness of police, procedural fairness, distributive justice, and police effectiveness. Using data from a survey of 669 victims of crime in India who interacted with the police, the research examines the relationship between legitimacy, and the respondent’s cooperation with the police and compliance with the law. The study indicates that legitimacy is an important antecedent to cooperation with the police and compliance with the law, which has significant policy implications.

Authors

• Sami Ansari, Salem State University

• Vinod Kumar TK, Indian Police Service